Inner Conflict
by ChrstnWrtr
Summary: Link faces serious problems in his life...loosely based upon "It's a Wonderful Life."


Internal Conflict  
  
By Shannon   
  
NOTE: I don't own the rights to the video game nor the concept of this story. Don't sue me, I'm just a poor college student :(  
  
  
Drops of white fell from the grey-blueish sky, covering every part of Hyrule with its glittery shine. Lake Hylia froze and many Hylians and Zoras flocked to skate on its shiny surface. Winter had come to Hyrule.   
  
Many Kokiri had prepared Christmas trees for sale, with the proceeds going to various charities. The people of Kakariko Village came to go sledding on the frozen Death Mountain since Link had triumphed over Gannondorf several years ago.   
  
The King of Hyrule had passed on, leaving Zelda the queen of Hyrule and she then married Link, the hero of time. Link now became the king of this land and the sole defender of it. He was the Commander-in-chief of the army and an excellent general as well. He had fought wars and won them all. At 47, Link had achieved so much since he had saved Hyrule from destruction 30 years ago as a teenager.  
  
Link's 26-year-old son, Link II, was now approaching his wedding day to Princess Kayla of Terminia and he hoped that his son would make a great general as he was to retire his post and concentrate on ruling the country with his wife. He also hoped that the marriage would provide an alliance between Hyrule and Terminia.   
  
"Dad, I'm nervous," said Link II, shaking in his boots and his white tunic. "Besides, I feel I'm a little old for getting married."  
  
"Don't feel nervous son," Link assured him. "And you're never too old to get married."  
  
"How old were you when you got married?"  
  
"Eighteen."  
  
"See what I mean?"  
  
"Yes but that was 29 years ago, Link," said the elder Link. "More and more people are getting married at an older age. Princess Ruto's son got married at 30."  
  
"That's because they had to bribe a Zoran princess to marry him because he's so ugly."  
  
"Well, um, well, that's true but it isn't my point. Just relax. Sometimes it takes awhile to find someone that's right for you."  
  
"Well, it didn't take long for my older sister Jenna to find a guy. She married when she was 20. She's 28 now and she has three kids."  
  
"Let's get off this topic, shall we, son? The music is starting! Your bride is coming to the altar!"  
  
Princess Kayla arrived at the altar in the Temple of Time and Rauru, who was performing the marriage, read the vows. The bride and groom exchanged vows and were declared husband and wife. After they kissed, they ran out of the temple and the people of Hyrule threw rice at them, celebrating their future King and Queen.   
  
At the reception in Hyrule Castle, Link wanted to make an annoucement. He tapped his glass filled with eggnog and rose to speak.  
  
"I would like to say something," Link replied. "As you know, I am Commander-in-chief of Hyrule's army and I have been for many years. It is my priviledge to step down and retire from my post as general and hand it over to my newly-wed son, Link II of Hyrule."  
  
Everyone cheered and clapped as a rather surprised Link II stood up to accept the position. "Thanks everyone. This is the best early Christmas present ever! Thank you Dad!" Father and son smiled at each other as everyone clapped and proceeded to consume eggnog.   
  
Link felt confident about his decision. He had taught his son all he needed to know about the army, military life in general, and military strategy. Link II knew every regiment, every station by heart. Both of them felt confident that they could defend any attacker, or so they thought.  
  
Within a week, a large army to the north of Hyrule approached. The army was from the land of Grumania, about 150 miles north of Hyrule. Their new leader, Bruno the Great, was seeking more land to add on to his territory. They were spotted by one of the guards at the entrance to Hyrule Castle Town. The guard hurried quickly to Link II's office only to find that he was still on his honeymoon and wouldn't be back for another three days. An emergency messenger was sent as the second-in-command, Roger, Link II's younger brother, organized the army in defense mode.   
  
"It looks like trouble, guys," Roger said, completely mounted on horseback, in full Hyrulian armor. "We've got to hold them until Link II gets back."  
  
"What a fine time to be on his honeymoon," snapped one of the officers under Roger's command.  
  
"Well, we never knew this was going to happen," Roger replied. "Now let's go out there and kick some butt!"  
  
The fighting went on for what seemed like days. Link II returned from his honeymoon to find his home country at war. He seized command of the army and went head on with the Grumanian troops, only to be pushed back. Bruno the Great and his army took over Hyrule Castle Town and made their way to Hyrule Castle, forcing Link to hand over his crown. His son and new daughter-in-law were held captive along with his 24-year-old son, Roger, who successfully held the army back until Link II's return.   
  
To add insult to injury, a huge snowstorm hit Hyrule like a sack of bricks. The Hyrulian army stationed outside the castle town walls suffered the most, freezing and starving to death. An angry mob of Hyrulian citizens stood at the Hyrule Castle gates and criticized Link for "cowardly" surrendering his position to a foreigner without a fight. They criticized him for giving his son control of the Hyrulian army and his negligence of the land during a devastating snowstorm.  
  
Link sat at the edge of his bed, watching the protesters outside amid the freezing cold. Bruno's guards drove them away with brute force, killing many of them. Some Hyrulian townspeople accused Link of conspiring with Bruno, which wasn't true. He wished he could do something about it, but he, along with Zelda, were locked in their bedroom under house arrest.   
  
That night, Link kept blaming himself for this mishap, for allowing his non-assertive son to take control of a once, powerful army that was once a force to be reckoned with. Zelda assured him that there was nothing he could do about it, but he continued to wallow in self-pity, wishing he was dead, until he fell asleep that night. When he did fall asleep, he started to dream....  
  
"Hey, where am I?" Link shouted. He was in a white room, surrounded by clouds. Link assumed he was dead and continued to shout. "Hello?!"   
  
A voice answered. "Link, so good to see you." It was an angel-faerie, fluttering above Link's head.  
  
"Hey, I know you, you're, you're...."  
  
"Navi. Remember me, how I helped you through your journey to save Hyrule? Now I'm here to help you....to help you realize that Hyrule needs you."  
  
"Good. Hyrule's better without me," mumbled Link.  
  
"Well, I wouldn't be so sure about that. I'm about to take you into a world in which you don't exist."  
  
"Might as well enjoy the ride then," Link said.   
  
Link was then led into Hyrule when it was taken over by Gannondorf. He saw the Kokiri surrounded by a dying Deku Tree.  
  
"Oh, what shall we do?" cried out one Kokiri.  
  
"Send forth the strongest Kokiri you have," muttered a weak Deku Tree. "....send...strongest..." The Great Deku Tree froze up and died.   
  
"So now what do we do?" asked another. "Saria, you're the leader of the Kokiri. You make a decision."  
  
"Well, the only person I have in mind for the job is....Mido."  
  
"MIDO?" cried the rest of the Kokiri?  
  
"Yeah, Mido!" snapped Mido, armed with a Kokiri sword and Deku shield. "I'm going to be the one to save Hyrule from this mess."  
  
"Isn't there anyone else?" asked a Kokiri?  
  
Link stared. "Mido? How could they be sending out a slacker like him, Navi? They need someone strong!" He ran toward Saria to volunteer. "Saria, Saria! It's me, Link! Don't send Mido out there! Send me! Send me!" He jumped up and down, waving his arms, but Saria ignored him.  
  
"Why am I being ignored, Navi? WHY?"  
  
"It's very simple, Link. You don't exist?"  
  
"But..."  
  
"You said you wanted to see a world in which you don't exist. Well, you have your wish."  
  
"But they're going to...send...Mido! He can't find his way out of his own house, let alone Kokiri Forest and the Lost Woods!"  
  
"Sad to see a world without you, huh? Come along, I have more to show you."  
  
Link sighed heavily as he was shown to the then Princess Zelda meeting with Mido.   
  
"That's my WIFE!" snapped Link. "And she's talking with....MIDO?"   
  
"Shut up and listen will you, Link?" snapped Navi.  
  
Link calmed down and listened to the conversation between Mido and Zelda.  
  
"Well, okay," Zelda said. "I'm not sure I can trust you, but I will give you my blessing anyway."  
  
"Thanks Zel," Mido said slyly. "I always knew you can count on me to save Hyrule. Now, how about that marriage promise?"  
  
"Surely Zelda has more sense than that to marry Mido," said Link.   
  
"You'd be surprised," replied Navi.  
  
The two continued to listen to the conversation.  
  
"Marriage? Well, okay!" Zelda exclaimed, smiling. The two of them kissed passionately. Link suddenly felt ill.  
  
"Now that we're engaged," said Mido. "I'll make you my queen after I take out this Gannondorf guy. Now where's that Temple of Time thing? I need to go open it up with this little instrument thingy."  
  
"It's called an ocarina, you dope!" screamed Link. Yet again, his words fell upon deaf ears.   
  
"Link, how many times do I have to tell you? You don't exist! They can't hear you! You're merely a facade!"  
  
Link sighed again and watched in dismay as Mido tried desparately to open the room with the Master Sword, using the wrong songs. He finally got it right and proceeded to go into the room with the pedastal. The Master Sword was yanked out with all of Mido's might and then a blue light blinded Link.  
  
"It's time to take you seven years into the future," Navi said.   
  
The future was worse than Link had imagined. Mido proved to be too weak of a warrior to conquer Gannondorf. Mido and Zelda had married and Mido had gone into battle only to come back as a prisoner of war. With no one left to oppose him, Gannondorf crowned himself King of Hyrule and imprisoning Zelda and Mido.  
  
"This is going to get worse, Link," Navi said calmly as she led him down to the dungeon where Zelda and Mido were staying.  
  
"I wish I never married you!" screamed Zelda. "I wish I never sent you to save Hyrule! I wish that Saria had more sense than to send you to save Hyrule! If I could, I'd divorce you right now!"  
  
"C'mon honey, it was an honest mistake," Mido said coolly. "How was I to know that one of my generals was a spy for Gannondorf?"  
  
"SILENCE!" yelled one of the guards. "Say another word and your execution will be tonight instead of tomorrow morning at 8!"  
  
"Execution? Why?" asked Link.  
  
"Gannondorf wants to be rid of them. Without your leadership, Hyrule would've been run over by invaders, defended only by Mido and his push-over of an army."  
  
"I gotta get em' out of there!" Link ran down to their cell and tried to grab the keys from the sleeping guard but his hand went right through them. "What?"  
  
"I told you time and time again, Link. In this world, you do not exist! Now, I think you've had enough torture for one day. Do you want to continue? To see your wife's execution? To see the future of Hyrule when it's crushed by Bruno and the Grumanians?"  
  
Link certainly didn't want to see his wife executed nor his homeland destroyed. "Navi, I've had enough. Take me home, TAKE ME HOME!"  
  
Link suddenly woke up. He rubbed his eyes and looked out of the window. It was morning. No protesters have come to the palace gates. The Grumanian guards were still there. He peeked through the crack of his bedroom door to find a sleeping guard with the keys to the bedroom around his waist.   
  
Link woke up his wife and with some coat-hanger wires, they managed to knock the keys from the guard's belt and slipped them quietly under the door. Grabbing his sword and Zelda her bow and arrows, they unlocked their door and slit the throat of the sleeping guard, killing him instantly.   
  
They managed to make it into the hallway safely. Their objective was to kill Bruno while he was sound asleep and assume control of Hyrule again but his guards were completely surrounding the bedroom he slept in. Zelda took aim and shot them dead with her arrows. Link finally gained access to the bedroom and broke open the doors, awaking Bruno.  
  
"Huh, WHAT?" growled Bruno. "What? You were....locked...up...."  
  
"I was, until I got past one of your drowsy guards!" exclaimed Link. "I'm here for my throne."  
  
"You'll have to fight for it," said a rather sleepy Bruno in his pajamas and without his armor. "You'll need to get past me." He pulled out his sword from his belt lying on a chair nearby.   
  
"Don't make me laugh, Bruno. You aren't so great. How are you going to fight me without your armor?"  
  
"Give me a minute and I'll put it on." Bruno, in his drowsy state, stumbled to a chair that had his armor. Just as he was about to put it on, he felt a sharp pain rip through him. Link had just stabbed him in the back.   
  
"No fair," he gasped. "You couldn't wait for me to put my armor on."  
  
"Yes, I am a bit impatient, Bruno," Link said firmly. "But you learned two valuable lessons. Don't turn your back on your enemies AND don't mess with me."  
  
Bruno slumped to the ground, dead as a doornail. Blood seeped through the gaping hole in his body and poured out onto the ground like water. Zelda grabbed his head as Link sawed it off with his sword.   
  
"Good work, Link," Zelda said. "You're a hero!"  
  
"All in a day's work, my dear," replied Link.  
  
The two of them ran out of the bedroom, holding Bruno's severed head. As the guards saw them, they fled in fear, dropping their weapons as they ran. Zelda and Link ran out of the castle and through the streets, carrying Bruno's head. Instead of jeering, the crowds were cheering as Bruno's men fled Hyrule Castle Town, taking the army with them.   
  
By that afternoon, Bruno's army surrendered and Link II, his wife, and his brother Roger were released from Hyrule Castle's dungeon. All was well. The snowstorm had subsided and everyone was happy. Link was hailed as a hero for saving Hyrule once more from the clutches of evil. The body and head of Bruno were sent back to Grumania as well as the bodies of the slain guards.  
  
At the Christmas Eve party, everyone gathered around to hear Link II speak.   
  
"Ladies and gentlemen. I am pleased to announce my present to my father for this Christmas. I am giving him back the control of the Hyrulian Army, putting myself second-in-command. I feel that since he is better suited for the job than I am, it will serve Hyrule in the long run, which will give me time to gain more military experience."  
  
Everyone toasted in Link's name and cheered as Link happily accepted his old position as Commander-in-Chief of the army, however, Link II had one more request.  
  
"I would like to turn over my position as second-in-command to my younger brother, Roger, who helped defend Hyrule successfully before I came back from my honeymoon. Here's to you, Bro. I will gladly take third-in-command for you."  
  
Everyone toasted Roger, who blushed. His fiancee, Princess Jan of Hyrule kissed him which made him blush even more.  
  
"It's okay guys, I don't really deserve it," muttered Roger with a big sheepish grin on his face.  
  
"Last but not least," Link II said. "I'd like to thank my father for saving this great country of ours. Without him, we'd be crushed under Bruno's clutches."  
  
"All hail King Link!" everyone shouted. "All hail King Link! Hip, hip, HOOORAY!"   
  
Link smiled as everyone cheered him on. From the corner of his eye, he could see Navi, smiling back at him with the thumbs-up sign. Link grinned at her and returned her gesture. All was well until there was a loud THUMP on the top of Hyrule Castle. Everyone crowded the balcony to see a short, fat man in a red, velvet suit. Along with the fat man, there was a sleigh, and nine reindeer, one of them sporting a glowing, red nose.   
  
"Sheesh Rudolph, I told you to land quietly!" the fat man scolded the reindeer. "Now you've probably woke up everyone in Hyrule Castle!"  
  
"Sorry Santa," muttered Rudolph, hanging his head and pawing at the snow with his hoof.  
  
Then, Santa found the chimney and dove into it, butt first.  
  
"Yay, Santa's here!" cheered Princess Jenna's three children.   
  
"Not so fast," she said. "He'll only bring presents if you're asleep. Now run along to bed, you guys."  
  
"Oh no," said Link.  
  
"What's wrong, dear?" asked Zelda.   
  
"I forgot to put out the fire in the fireplace!"  
  
Suddenly, there was another sound. An "OWWWW" followed by some colorful phrases was heard down the hall in the livingroom.  
  
"Looks like Santa's gonna need a bucket of water," said Link II. "I'll go get some from the well nearby."  
  
"Looks like I'm getting coal this year," Link thought to himself. 


End file.
